Swords of Two Natures
by mesmer
Summary: Two swords... the Destined Ones... and a great adventure. Sakura and Syaoran are on a quest to retrieve the two Legendary Swords that can bring peace to their land, and also can bring great destruction, before a great evil gets their greedy hands on them.
1. The Legend

Disclaimer: I do not own Cardcaptor Sakura.

Chapter One-The Legend

A mother sits by her young daughter in bed during the last minutes of day. The day had been good so far. No attacks were heard of today. The sun is setting in the small window that looks out to the sea. It is a concoction of pinks, oranges, purples, and blues. The sea sparkles as the waves come into shore. 

"Mother, please tell me the Legend again."

The mother looks at her small daughter and smiled. "I've told it to you so many times. Don't you ever tire of it?"

The daughter looked at her mother with shock evident on her face. "Of course not! It is the most exciting story that I've ever heard in my entire life! Please tell it to me again. You tell it the best!" 

"Well… if you put it that way, I suppose I can tell it to you again. Long ago there was a nice sorcerer who was very powerful. He was known to be able to do amazing things. Heal the sick, grow gorgeous plants, and even… predict the future. Those were the good times. There was peace in the lands and crime was at a low. One night while the sorcerer was sitting in his favorite chair thinking, a vision came to him. In this horrible, but insightful vision, he saw several terrible things. Gigantic monsters that emitted a pungent smell, monsters that were serpent-like that bore humongous fangs, creatures of the night with great wings attached to their bodies and huge, keen, red eyes." 

"How scary mother! I would hate to be near those things!"

"I know dear… lets continue the story shall we? These monsters and many other kinds were all destroying villages and towns, leaving nothing standing. He heard the wailing of children and adults alike, and the sounds of things crashing to the earth, and the noises that escaped the gruesome figures' mouths. Then, all of a sudden, he was panting and sweating, still sitting on his favorite chair. After he thought about the premonition that had just occurred, he set right to work creating two magical beacons of light that would help save the future world. When he was finished, they looked to be the most beautiful pieces of weaponry anyone in the world had ever created. He had made two swords. Both were a mix of gold and silver, but they were different in every other way. Different swirl designs decorated each hilt along with a stone. One of the swords had an emerald stone, and one had rose quartz. The sword with the emerald stone was heavier than the one with the rose quartz. The two swords were designed to help bring about peace, when used together, in the hands of the Destined Ones. But if evil got to the swords before the Destined Ones, and they didn't get them away from the evil…"

"There would be no peace in the world and destruction would never cease…"

"Right honey. The Destined Ones would endure many hardships to get to the swords. Legend says that there would be a great battle between a great evil and the Destined Ones. The outcome of that battle is uncertain."

"Mother, I hope the Destined Ones will come soon and save us", the little girl said, starting to cry quietly.

"Don't cry dear. I'm sure they will come soon. Everything will turnout just fine." Inside, the mother was just as uncertain and just as hopeful as her young child. She knew not whether the Destined Ones would come forth and save their beloved world, or whether utter destruction was in the near future. Saying everything would be fine to herself gave little reassurance. But it seemed to help her daughter.

"Never give up hope my child. Hope is what will pull us through."

The mother sat on her daughter's bed and held her and rocked her, stroking her golden hair. The girl soon fell asleep, and the mother tucked her child in and kissed her on the forehead.

"Sweet dreams, and may the gods protect you."

With one last look, she closed the door on her sleeping child and began to walk down the hall. She began to hear loud noises and rapid footsteps heading her way. Something was not right, and she could guess what it was. 

"Mistress! Mistress! Where are you?"

The soldier spotted the woman he was searching for and ran to her.

"Mistress, there are beasts spotted heading our way! They are almost at the gate, which means we only have about five minutes! We need to evacuate you and your daughter to safety right away."

The young woman took on a face of utter dread. The color drained from her face and her eyes were beginning to fill with wet, salty tears. In response she only said two words.

"Oh… no…"

A/N: Hello! This is my first fic so tell me what you think. Please give me some constructive criticism by e-mail or review! Thank you! It would also be great if you wanted to suggest anything that I could put into this story. I welcome all ideas even though I pretty much know what I'm going to write. Arigato gozaimasu to all who read and reviewed! I hope to post the next chapter soon, so be on the look out!       


	2. The Boys

Chapter Two-The Boys

Elsewhere in another kingdom…

"Tomoyo, you know what would be exciting?"

Sakura's best friend didn't miss the mischievous look that was in her eyes.

"What?"

"Have you heard the Legend before?"

"Of course! Who hasn't heard it?"

"Well, I was looking around the library…"

"You mean _sneaking_ around the library…", Tomoyo cut in.

"Same thing. As I was saying, I was looking around the library and this piece of parchment caught my eye."

Sakura pulled out a worn, torn piece of parchment. Tomoyo moved up closer to get a better look at this foreign paper. She could see that it had yellowed with age, and the print was a bit faded. 

"What is this", Tomoyo asked with awe.

"It looks to be a map."

"Wow. Who ever created this map was very talented."

"I agree, and look at the back." Sakura turned the frail map over and moved it closer to the flickering candle on the bedside table.

Tomoyo thought, "Hmm. I've seen this type of writing somewhere."

"You have", Sakura asked; now getting excited.

"I remember now!"

Tomoyo had yelled so loud, unexpectedly, and scared Sakura half to death, making her jump off the bed.

"Jeez Tomoyo, could you have been any louder?"

"Hehe. Sorry about that."

"S'okay. Anyway", Sakura began while hopping back on the bed, "Since you remembered something just now, would you care to tell me what it is?"

"Of course. A few months ago, father had to get something translated from this language called 'Chinese' to Japanese. He went to go see this old Chinese man in the city to the north." 

"And how did you find all this out?"

"I asked him about it silly. Most of the characters were the same, but when I read them, they didn't make sense."

"So you want to go on an adventure?"

"To where?"

"To see this old man of course, so he can translate the map."

"I don't think that's such a good idea."

"Why not? It will be fun! There's nothing to fear. You know very well that I can protect us if danger comes. I have my magic and my superior martial arts skills."

"Don't get full of yourself. All right; I'll go." Tomoyo never could say no to her best friend.

"Yes! This will be great! Pack as light as you can, and wear dark clothes and a cloak. No fancy stuff now. Oh, and be sure to wear good shoes."

"You've thought this through very thoroughly haven't you. You go and get ready too. I'll meet you at the back wall, near the bonsai tree, at 11:00."

"Okay. I'll be there. See you later."

Sakura stood up, and took the map with her.

* * *

As Sakura walked along the halls to her room, she could hardly contain her excitement. Not to draw any attention to herself, she had to keep a straight, emotionless face, which was easy because she had trained herself to keep this expression. 

She finally came to her sanctuary and made sure to lock the door. In a flurry of clothes and other necessities, she placed a miniature sized painting of her family in the carrier. Quickly, she changed into forest-green loose pants, a black long-sleeve shirt, and a cloak of black. She also put on her most comfortable walking shoes and packed away her magical cards in one of the many pockets inside her cloak. 

Sakura had the brightest emerald-green eyes, and short, honey-brown hair that hung just above her shoulders. She was slim with a fair complexion. The people closest to her, which included her family, her best friend, and all the employees in the castle, regarded her as a wonderful person. Outside she was cold looking and impassive. She became this way after the death of her mother almost six years ago. 

Tomorrow would be Sakura's sixteenth birthday. She despised her birthday. It was the same every year. Many people came to the celebration, but many were people she didn't even know. Everyone would remark on how much she had grown, or how beautiful she was. Also, many so-called _wonderful_ prospective suitors would come. All of them were rich and snobby. She was sick of it, so this year, Sakura decided to do something different. 

The time to meet up with Tomoyo was drawing near, so she took one last look around her room, swung her carrier across her chest, and leaped out of her window, into the garden. 

* * *

It was a cool, dark night, and most people were asleep. This made it easier and faster to get to the bonsai tree because she didn't have to hide. Sakura walked swiftly to the back wall of the garden where she spotted Tomoyo. 

"I thought you'd never get here", Tomoyo remarked.

Tomoyo was in a similar outfit: dark-green cloak, black long-sleeve shirt, and black pants. She was already sixteen. Long, wavy ebony hair hung a little above her waist, and smiling purple eyes adorned her pale face.

"Sorry for making you wait. Well, lets get going. It's no use just standing here in the garden talking. I can use Float to get us over the wall."

Sakura pulled her magical star key pendant over her head, transformed it into her staff, and activated Float. Tomoyo and Sakura floated easily over the wall to the other side. 

"That was easy. Now all we have to do is not get caught", Sakura said.

"What should we do?"

"I think we should use Dash until we get to the North Road."

"I don't think so. I think we should stay off the road, but just far enough so that once in a while we can check to see if we're still on track."

"Good thinking Tomoyo. We'll use dash until we get lots of distance between our town and us, then walk along the edge of the forest. The forest will give us some cover for a while."

"All right."

Sakura pulled out Dash from her deck, and asked for its aid. The two friends held hands tightly as they ran at incredible speed. If you were the one running now, you would see many streaks of dark colors passing by on the left and right. The air would feel as if it were trying to push you back. 

After running for only a minute, Sakura decided it was time to stop using Dash. They stopped at the edge of the forest as they agreed they would. Dash returned to its card form, and joined the others inside Sakura's cloak pocket. She needed to reserve her magic incase it was needed for an emergency.

"Let's travel a little into the forest now", Tomoyo suggested.

"Good idea."

They traveled deeper into the forest, but still moving forward. It was now very difficult to see where they were going. There were many branches, bushes, and roots growing in the darkness of the forest, as if their purpose was to keep them from reaching their destination by tripping and hitting them. Sakura reluctantly called on Glow's power to shine a soft light. She was afraid that the light would catch someone's attention. 

"Don't worry", Tomoyo assured her, "I'll bet that no one will see it because we're too far in the forest. Who else would be traveling at this time?"

The girls walked for a long while, chatting about whatever was on their minds. 

They had walked all night. It was now getting lighter as the new day came about. The girls could hear the far off sounds of a distant town. 

"Can you hear that", asked Sakura.

Tomoyo listened for a while and finally picked up the sounds of the town. "Yeah! We're almost there! I'm so exhausted. We can get a room at the town's inn."

"I'm tired too. I think it's safe to travel on the road now. What do you think?"

"Yes, I think it's okay."

They moved toward the light of day and onto the road. It wasn't crowded yet. That was in their favor. The cloak clad girls trudged along the road, dragging their feet while kicking up dust.

Half an hour later, they arrived at the inn. The woman, who was the innkeeper, showed them to their room. The girls did not stop to eat or change. The moment the door was shut, they walked to the beds, plopped themselves on top, and fell asleep.

* * *

Tomoyo was the first to wake. It was late in the afternoon and she was hungry. She decided to wake Sakura up, knowing that this was going to be a difficult task. Slowly, she got off the bed, took off her carrier, and walked over to Sakura's bed.

"Hey Sakura! Wake up!" Tomoyo didn't bother whispering because she knew it would never work. That seemed to have no affect on her what so ever so she could only do one thing: pour cold water on her.

She took out her flask from her carrier, opened it up, and poured its contents all over Sakura's face.

"AAAAIIIIEEEEE", Sakura screamed as she jumped off the bed, "Tomoyo? What did you do that for?"

Tomoyo was trying very hard to stifle her laughter. "I'm sorry Sakura. You know how hard it is to wake you from your slumber."

Sakura calmed down. "Yes, I know. So, what is it that you wish to speak to me about?"

As Sakura dried her face with her cloak, Tomoyo said, "It's time we go get something to eat. I'm starving and I know you are too."

Just then, Sakura's stomach growled.

"You're right. Let's go find some food."

They picked up their carriers stiffly, and went in search of something edible.

* * *

The market place in the town was thronged with busy people rushing this way and that. There were many different types of stands. Much talk and yelling was circulating all around. Tomoyo spotted a soba (cold wheat noodles with shredded dried seaweed (nori) and a sweet and salty sauce) stand that seemed clean enough. They bought their food and ate it in silence. 

"What do you want to do now", asked Sakura.

"Want to look around?"

"Sure. Where do you want to go?"

"Oh, nowhere in particular."

"Sure, I believe you", Sakura said sarcastically.

They walked along the long isle of stands; and Tomoyo running to this stand and that, dragging Sakura with her. They mostly looked into fabric stands. Tomoyo had this obsession with making clothes for Sakura. Sakura always tried them on for her, to Tomoyo's delight. 

The girls had now walked to the center of the market place. In the middle of the square, there was a clay fountain. Many people were crowded around something that was out of Tomoyo and Sakura's view. Out of curiosity, the girls made their way over to the crowd of people. 

They took in a fight that was going on between two young boys and ten other people. After listening to the shouting and watching the fight for a while, they both could tell it was because the ten people had stolen something. 

The two young men looked like they we're having a little trouble fighting with ten men, so Sakura decided to help them out. She took off her carrier and asked Tomoyo to look after it. Then, she pulled up her hood, and walked into the fight.

"Excuse me guys. Can I play too", Sakura asked with a smile. Even though no one would see it under her hood.

"Who are you", asked one of the robbers.

"That is none of your business. You had no right to steal whatever you stole. Give it back right now or I will be forced to use violence against you."

"Oh really", said a robber with blond hair, "Well, we're not giving it back any time soon so bring it on."

In reply, Sakura said, "If you insist."

With that said, the fighting commenced. 

Sakura charged at the blond man first. She faked a punch to his face, then knocked him out with a hard punch to the stomach. The guy to the left was her next target. She was going to punch him in the stomach, but the robber blocked. He punched her in the stomach successfully. It hurt for only a second. The robber was not fast enough so she did a round house kick to the head, which knocked him out. The man in back of the one that she had just knocked out came running at her with a dagger. She realized that he was coming a little late so she could only direct the dagger to graze her left side. She didn't show any sign of injury in her expression. Sakura turned around to face her opponent. He was still turned around so she thrust kicked him on the back, making him fall flat on his face. 

The rest of the robbers were getting scared, so five of the men decided to attack her together. She couldn't fight them all by herself, so she called upon her magic and released some of her magic in a crescent. It knocked them all out. 

Sakura looked around to find that the two young men were fighting the remaining two robbers. The knocked them out quickly. One of the boys went to retrieve the stolen item, then rejoined the other boy.

She now had time to study the strangers closely. The boy on the left had tousled chocolate-brown hair and amber eyes. He looked to have a strong build. The other boy had sleek black hair, glasses, bluish-gray eyes, and a pale face. They appeared to be around the same age as herself. She also noticed that they both had very faint magical auras that were very hard to detect.

Tomoyo was now by her side, and they both stood there looking at the boys, and thinking.

"Who are you", asked the boy with the brown hair.

The blue-haired boy nudged his friend in the side and said, "Excuse my friend for being so blunt. My name is Eriol Hiiragizawa. My friend's name is Syaoran Li. If you don't mind me asking, what are your names?"

Sakura realized that they were talking to them before Tomoyo did, so she did the introductions. 

"This is Tomoyo Daidouji and I'm Sakura Kinomoto", Sakura announced, pulling down her hood.

"Nice to meet you", Eriol said, "Thanks a lot for your help with those robbers. They had stolen something from a near-by stand, and we had caught them."

Sakura noticed that the boy named Syaoran now had his mouth hanging wide open.

"Yes", Sakura asked annoyed.

"Y-you're a girl?"

"So", Sakura asked now thoroughly vexed.

He didn't say anything in return. It was really rare to come across a woman who knew how to fight in this time period. 

When he didn't reply, Sakura said, "Nice meeting you", and turned to walk away.

"Wait", said Eriol, "Would you like to have a drink with us and talk for a while? My treat."

Sakura looked to Tomoyo, silently asking her if she wanted to join the boys. Tomoyo nodded vigorously. 

Sakura sighed, then replied, "Sure."

"Wonderful", Eriol said. 

It was getting a little cold and the sky was almost dark, so it was nice to go to a little restaurant to get something warm to drink. They got a little table in the back for privacy. Sakura had asked for it because she was afraid someone would recognize Tomoyo or herself. They ordered the restaurant's prized tea.

'This _is_ really nice', Sakura thought to herself. The tea was known for its soothing aroma and unique taste. 

Sakura took a look around. The restaurant was alive with talk and cheery people. The lights were a bit dim. She could hear the sizzle of food and music playing somewhere. Sakura was very relaxed, staring of into space. However, her attention was brought back to earth when Eriol asked a question.

"So what are you two girls doing here?"

Sakura thought, 'Should I tell him? Can I trust him?"

Sakura sighed, "We're traveling to the next town north to get something translated."

"Oh. Interesting. May I see it?"

Sakura hesitated, but eventually produced the old map. 

"Wow. What magnificent artwork. Do you know who made this?"

"No."

As Eriol looked over to Syaoran, she saw that he was looking at his lap and being very still and silent. 

After Eriol had observed the map, Tomoyo asked, "What are you here for?"

Eriol smiled, "Well, we we're sent on a quest to find someone."

"And have you found that someone?"  
"Yes."

Sakura and Tomoyo were panicking now. 'What if they're people sent to look for us', they both thought. 

Eriol noticed them become tense and said, "No, no, no. Don't worry. We weren't sent by the people you ran away from, if you did run away."

The girls immediately calmed down. After about an hour of chatting, the girls decided that it was best that they be heading off to the next town. 

"Could we accompany you girls", Eriol asked.

"I don't suppose it would do any harm", Sakura said.

"The more the merrier", Tomoyo put in.

All four grabbed their carriers, paid the bill, and started their long trek to the next city, to the north. 


	3. The Shaliree

A/N: OMG! Thank you so much to all my reviewers. It's been a long time since I've updated. Blame school. Special thanks to MagicKnightNancy for giving me that extra boost to write again! Last time I forgot to put an author's note. But you all must not like to read them. So maybe it was a good thing??? Anyway, on with the story!

Disclaimer: I forgot to put one in the second chapter, but don't sue me!!! I know that the characters of Cardcaptor Sakura do not belong to me, but to the wonderful team CLAMP.

Chapter Three- The Shaliree

The foursome walked along the dusty road in silence, content with just thinking to themselves. No one was traveling at this time of night, so they were all alone on the road. The sky was clear tonight, and they could see the stars clearly. They twinkled in the velvet blue sky, shining bright and pure. The sounds of the night were all around them. Crickets chirping, birds flapping, or calling out to their kin. Tonight was particularly cold for the thoughtful party. Every one of them had their cloaks pulled tight around them, trying to keep the warmth in. 

It would take two days travel for the group to arrive in the next town on foot. On horseback, the trip would be much quicker. Sakura was thinking this as she thought of her aching feet. 

"I think we should purchase some horses when we get to the next town," she voiced aloud to no one in particular.

"I think that's a very good idea as well," Eriol said, making Sakura jump. 

She hadn't expected an answer because she had been absentmindedly thinking aloud. 

"I think that get horses is a waste of money," Syaoran said quietly with his head down.

Everyone was surprised because Syaoran hadn't said a word since they had first headed to the road.

They all thought about the positive and negative outcomes if they were to get the horses. 

"Damn! Syaoran is right," Sakura agreed mentally, although not happily, "We don't have enough money to spare. Who knows how long this journey will take?"

Sakura, depressed at the thought of walking even more, sighed, "You have a good point. I guess the walking will be a great exercise for us." 

It was silent once again as the teenagers walked on. They stayed like that, walking and listening to the noises around them until it was about one hour past midnight. It was getting even colder, and they were exhausted. 

"I believe that it's time we made camp," Syaoran spoke up, looking to his three companions and seeing them blurry-eyed and slowing down. 

"Let's pitch camp by the trees to the left," Syaoran suggested. The rest of the weary travelers just nodded in response and started walking to the left, dragging their feet.

They decided on a spot next to a large, old tree that had an immense canopy leaning in all directions. Tomoyo, Sakura, and Eriol immediately pulled out their welcoming blankets from their carriers, and lay down on the grass with their warm covers securely around them. Syaoran on the other hand hadn't followed suit. 

"I know how much they are all tired. I guess I'll go find firewood and keep watch for them, seeing as they are not fit to do so in their condition. Well duh Syaoran! They're kind of asleep." He realized he was talking to himself and mentally scolded himself. 'You should stop talking to yourself. People are going to begin to wonder if you're alright in the head.'

With a sigh, he went to go collect firewood.

Back at camp, one of Syaoran's companions was having some difficulties sleeping.

* * *

She saw her mother fall to the ground. She couldn't hear anything but the beating of her heart. Panic consumed every inch of her body as she ran toward her beloved mother. When she got there, she kneeled by her mother's side and hugged her tight, never wanting to let go for fear she might lose her if she did. She looked to her mother's face and saw that a small smile had formed on her lips.

Her mother spoke in a soft, calm voice, "My sweet, sweet daughter, do not cry." The little girl was on the verge of tears, and her lower lip was trembling. When she had first caught sight of her mother falling, Sakura had felt a tinge in her heart that hadn't made it's way out. The beautiful woman spoke again, though softer than before for Sakura could hardly make out those strained words, "Remember all the good times we had, and don't let the bad ones keep you down. I will always be there, watching over you…"

With those words, she closed her warm gray eyes and flew off to some unknown land the living would never see the likes of. The tiny girl was so shocked that she just stared with blurry vision at the woman who had been her mother. She sat down on the hard ground with crossed legs and delicately put her mother's limp body in a lying position. She put her hands to the floor and crawled over to her mother's right side and lie in the crook of her arm on her side. Sakura hugged her again fiercely.  Then, miniscule drops ran down her cheeks leaving a shiny trail in their wake. She hugged her mother closer and tighter, not wanting to believe that she was gone. She lay there, still in her silent cry, thinking back on her treasured memories. She thought back on the times when they went to the market place and when they had had picnics in the garden full of laughter and enriching conversation. Memories of the traveling they had done together, her mother's advice sessions, arguments, and all the most prominent talks they had held came flooding back to her. She realized that she would not get to experience these types of things for a long while and maybe not even ever again. 

Over and over she pleaded and begged, "No… no… don't leave me… please."

No one heard her small, soft pleas for her beloved mother. No one came to comfort her, and no one was there to see her cry. She had no one left to turn to. Despair ran all through her body. Smoke permeated through the air and bodies lay strewn everywhere. All that could be heard were the cries of men, women, and children, the malicious fires licking at the walls of once happy homes, and the scratchy terrifying roaring and laughter coming from the hideous heads of the merciless demons.

* * *

"Hey! Kinomoto! Wake up!"

With that said, Sakura bolted up with a gasp. She found herself in a cold sweat, laboriously breathing with tears sliding down her cheeks. As she recounted the painfully clear dream she just had, she brought her knees to her chest and hugged herself, with her head on her knees, trying to gather her senses. Syaoran was beside her, standing up. 

* * *

He had come into camp with a rather large pile of firewood, fully intent on getting a warm fire going to get rid of some of the chill. He had a calm and slightly happy aura surrounding him. However, when he noticed that the girl with the short hair was tossing about in her sleep and crying silently, his conscience and curiosity urged him to go examine the situation. 

She was also whispering inaudibly. Syaoran walked quietly over to the unconscious girl to relieve his inquisitive side and because he hated to see people cry. He had seen too many people cry. 

He squatted next to Sakura and had to put a bit of effort into hearing her chant. 

"No… no… don't leave me…please."

Sakura was apparently having a nightmare, so he had decided to wake her up.

* * *

Syaoran gazed down at her, all thoughts of starting that fire forgotten, trying to think of some way he could comfort her. Even though they had only met yesterday, he felt that there was something he should do. Normally he would just ignore someone who was crying and pretend he didn't care so he didn't exactly know what to do. 

'Well, here goes nothing.' 

Syaoran squatted down beside the emerald-eyed girl and put his forearms on his thighs.

"What's wrong?" Syaoran asked in a whisper, concernedly.

Sakura didn't reply. She continued to sit there with her arms crossed on her knees and her head down as if she hadn't heard him. Syaoran put his hand on her shoulder and asked again.

"What happened?"

She tensed.

"Nothing," she mumbled. 

Sakura swatted Syaoran's hand from her shoulder and began to calm down right away. 

"Are you sure? It doesn't seem like nothing's wrong."

Sakura wiped her face on the blanket. She flicked her head to Syaoran and stared at him with eyes that seemed to see right past him.

As she stared, Sakura asked herself the same two questions she had thought over before, "Should I tell him? Can I trust him? I've never told anyone my story besides Tomoyo, and it took me a while before I could actually confess the whole thing to her."

Something inside her told her to tell this complete stranger, and that he could be trusted so she acted upon instinct.

Sakura sighed and began whilst looking toward the heavens, "You really want to know?"

Syaoran nodded, "Yes."

"Well then. Sit tight because it's going to be a long story."

Sakura told him about her family and where she came from. She told him about some of her most adored memories. When she spoke of her dream, she had her impassive mask on. She refused to show any more of what she thought was a weakness to this stranger.

Syaoran now fully understood why he had seen tears in those once bright eyes. Her story moved him in such a way that it was a struggle to maintain his own stoic expression. 

"Do not pity me though," Sakura said in a soft voice still gazing out to infinity. Not once could she look this stranger in the eye while spinning her tale.  

"I have moved on with my life, and it is in the past. It's quite late. I think it's in our best interests to get some sleep."  
  


Sakura pulled the blanket up to her neck and turned to lie on her side so she faced away from him. Syaoran took this as a sign that she didn't want to converse anymore on the sketchy subject. He stood up and wearily went over to where his own blanket lay. With his thoughts as company, he slid under his blanket and thought for a while until sleep washed over him.

'Even though she told me not to, how could I not pity her. I don't prefer being pitied either, but it is very hard not to. It must have been so hard for her. She has no real biological family left except for her dad. The feelings I can imagine she had are intense, but it was probably even more painful than I can imagine. There must be something wrong with me. I usually don't act like this. What makes her so different? Isn't she just like every other girl I've unfortunately been acquainted with?'

That was the last question he pondered for the night as sleep claimed him.

* * *

Faintly, Syaoran could hear the distant rustle of leaves. This awakened his senses ten fold. He opened his amber eyes ever so slowly and did not dare to move a muscle just yet. He concentrated on listening to the sounds of the night. It was about two hours before sunrise. He tried to hear how heavily the steps were to get an idea of what the unknown thing was. He couldn't hear footsteps at all. This got the adrenaline pumping in Syaoran's veins. With the evidence gathered, he could conclude one thing. This thing or things was a predator. 

He quickly thought of the courses of actions he could take. 

"Shit! What should I do? Okay, I guess I should calm down for one… Calm down? How can I calm down at a time like this? But I have to clear my head. All right let's think back, and fast, to all the dealings you've had with dangerous animals. Hmmm… since this thing is a predator, it will probably hide it the brush as long as it can and spring. We're pretty far from the foliage so that gives us some advantage. Everyone's still unconscious I believe. That Sakura girl could be up though. I hate to say it, but she has respectable martial arts skills. She probably picked up the noise as well."

"Snap!"

The soft sound of a small twig snapping reached Syaoran's ears. 

"That came from the other direction?" Syaoran was, again, surprised. 

"There must be more than one," he thought as a wave of dread washed over him. 

"There's only one choice now."

With that last thought, he bounded up to a standing position and ran to wake everyone. Just as he suspected, Sakura had jumped up at the same time he did. Sakura saw what Syaoran wanted to do and followed is lead. 

"Wake up!" they both screamed while shaking their companions vigorously. 

Both woke up instantly and were on alert. The three fighters formed a protective circle around Tomoyo for she could not defend herself. 

They waited and strained to hear any sounds coming from the darkness. The light of the stars was all they had to see by. The fire had burned out only an hour before. The anxiety was killing them. After several minutes of waiting and not picking up any noise, a pack of four demons with dark coats and those distinctive red eyes that gleamed with the thirst for blood suddenly darted out with one target in mind. They all seemed to go for Sakura! 

She opened her eyes wider as they charged to her. Those demons had massive canine teeth with saliva falling from their foaming mouths, disgusting everyone to no end. They growled like dogs. She was getting nervous and fear rooted her to the spot. Syaoran noticed the demons' general direction and looked toward the scared girl. 

He yelled while running to her, "What are you doing? Get with the program you bubble head! Can't you defend yourself? Defend those you care about?"

Right when the first demon was close enough to attack, Syaoran swung his sword in a downward slash that created a deep wound on the cat-like creature's left side. The creature let out a howl of pain. 

The smell of blood now mixed in with the pungent odor of the demons themselves.

That first attack and Syaoran's statement brought her back down to solid ground. She was neither weak nor helpless! She had worked to her fullest extent to get to where she was today. The journey had been agony and misery filled. He had no right to question her capability.

"How dare you?" Sakura replied to Syaoran's comment coldly, "You know nothing about me."

While Sakura had been speaking, she had obtained a hot red glow about her. To a casual observer, she looked more a demon than a girl. 

Her friends were gaping when the red glow suddenly escaped from Sakura's body in all directions. The power of the intense red incased everything around them. When the power waved over the demons, the seemed to deteriorate. With a surprised roar, all four dark demons vanished. 

When the power touched her friends, however, they could feel anger and hate throughout their bodies. First Tomoyo, then Eriol lay unconscious. Syaoran tried to hold on a little longer. 

"What is this?" he thought, "Oh… I'm a complete idiot. I must have struck a nerve."

He then fell down to his knees, flopped to the soft earth, and joined his two comrades.  

* * *

Syaoran awoke to the singing of the birds and a bright sky with white, cotton ball clouds. It was a couple of hours before midday. Syaoran lay under his blanket for a while longer, enjoying the comfort his personal cocoon offered. He stared up into the endless blue sky, thinking of nothing. For that small moment he had no worries or responsibilities. 

'Oh… if only life were as simple as that.'

Syaoran sighed, "I guess I'll have to get back to reality."

Today they would make it to the next kingdom where their destination was located. Syaoran woke everyone up, much to his or her disappointment. They were still exhausted, but they knew they needed to move on.

Last night's event were kind of an unspeakable. Truth behold, Sakura didn't remember a thing!

"The sooner we get going, the sooner we can have some warm food and beds," Tomoyo stated.

Everyone was looking forward to that. 

As they walked they had a mock lunch that consisted of dried meat, water, and some tough bread. 

The walking was uninteresting for there was nothing to do but watch the scenery go by. The heat of the day, being very much the opposite temperature of last night, also deterred them from conversing. 

They kept their pace until they reached the small, peaceful kingdom of Shaliree. The kingdom of Shaliree covered a grand valley. This valley had blooming, colorful flowers and cool swishing grasses all around covered the steep slopes leading to the heart of the valley. At night cool breezes and swarms of fireflies never fail to appear, giving the valley a cheerful glow. 

It was beginning to darken when the sleepy travelers wandered into the first of Shaliree's two towns, the town of Holmain. 

The wooden gates opened for them and everyone residing in the town looked to see who the newcomers were. The townspeople saw that they were but ordinary people so they went about their business. Many welcomingly waved with cheerful smiles as they passed by. The group discovered where the town inn was and headed for it straight away. 

In size it was quite large. They could see smoke rising from the chimney, and they could smell the aroma of food wafting over from the building that probably housed the kitchen. There was a sign out front that read HOMELY INN. This was the perfect name because it looked like a very cozy cottage and appeared homely, even from the outside. It was nice and warm inside. The fireplace and candles scattered about the lobby gave off a soft luminescent glow that was reflected on the walls. Laughter and the clanking of dinnerware could be heard from the open room to the left. 

They hurriedly paid for four meals and two rooms and went quickly to them. The girls filed into one room on the right, in the center, while the boys filed into another room at the end of the hall. Their food was brought to their rooms, and they ate there. All four were too tired to do anything else. They didn't even have enough energy to look around. They flopped onto their beds and shut down instantly.

The adventurers got their well-deserved rest. Syaoran was the first to wake up as usual. He woke at about a few hours after sunrise. Eriol woke next because of the sun. Next came Tomoyo and lastly Sakura, who woke up a few hours before midday. They got together for a meal in the inn's restaurant. Over lunch, they discussed what they were going to do for the day.

"Tomoyo and I need to go pay a visit to someone in this town today," Sakura started off.

"Well, Syaoran and I have nothing we need to do here in particular so may we come with you?" Eriol asked politely.  

"Um…"

"Sure! Why not?" Tomoyo exclaimed enthusiastically.

"Alright it's settled then. We'll meet you two at the benches in the waiting area after we pack everything up," Eriol said.

They had finished their meals so they left to their rooms to pack.

* * *

"Eriol?" Syaoran asked while climbing the stairs that lead to the rooms. 

"Explain to me again _why_ were traveling with those girls?"__

"Why? Don't you like them?" Eriol responded with an innocent smile on his face.

"Not necessarily."

"Did something happen my cute little descendant?"

"No! And STOP calling me that!"

Eriol laughed. 

"You're so easy to annoy Syaoran. Lighten up!"

"Don't evade my question."

"Then don't evade mine."

"Fine. I think I made Sakura really angry, and I want to avoid her wrath. Although, she hasn't said anything to me or given me any weird looks. So, are you happy now?" Syaoran retorted sarcastically. 

"Very," Eriol replied still smiling. "Let's go."

Eriol swiftly made his way to the door of another corridor only to disappear on him.

"Hey! You didn't give me an answer yet! Come back here!"

* * *

When they reached their rooms they were shocked to find their belongings all over the room in disarray. They packed up the things that were in the room and found out that nothing had been stolen. They met in the waiting room as agreed.

"Eriol, Syaoran, there is something queer going on. When we got to our room, we found it had been looked though, but nothing was taken," Tomoyo said.

Eriol replied, "The same thing happened to our room."

They were silent for a few seconds thinking about the situation. 

"Do you think there is a possibility that someone is looking for something we have?" Syaoran asked.

Suddenly it hit Sakura.

"There is a good chance that that is the reason," Sakura admitted. "I think we should leave now."

Everyone else was stumped as to why people would have searched their belongings so they followed Sakura out into the noisy crowded streets.  

With Sakura in the lead, the group waded through the busy streets of the market place. She entered every stall she came across with high hopes, but every time she looked into a stand, he wasn't there. Sakura asked the nearby shopkeepers if they knew of the place he usually took up, but not one of them knew a thing. 

"Sakura! Slow down! I'm getting kind of tired over here," Tomoyo hollered after Sakura over all the noise.

Sakura turned back to her best friend. 

"Sorry about that. I was in such a hurry that I sort of forgot you guys were following," Sakura answered sheepishly.

"That's okay. Now, what is it that we're looking for?"

"I'm trying to locate that darned translator! I've come to nothing but dead ends as to where he is. Why is it so hard to find him?"

"I have no clue."

"So how are we going to find him?" Syaoran asked.

Unknown to the group standing in the middle of traffic, a wise, old man with a long white beard clad in red flowing robes and holding a walking staff, had crept up to listen to the conversation.

"Find whom?" the old man asked, stepping forward to acknowledge his presence.

The four whipped their heads in the direction of the unfamiliar voice.

"We're looking for the translator. Do you happen to know where he is?" Tomoyo questioned respectfully.

"Actually, I do. Follow me if you wish to see the translator."

The elderly man turned around and started hobbling down the coarse dirt road that led out of the valley. 

They were reluctant to follow some strange old man they knew nothing about, but this was their only lead so far. Besides, he didn't look threatening in the least.

"Should we follow him?" asked Eriol.

"Why not?" Sakura said, shrugging her shoulders.

They followed the hobbling man until they were at the edge of the valley. A little cottage with flowers of all sorts growing in the front was located far up from Holmain. They stepped inside the cottage and found several wooden shelves, organizers, and tables with parchment stuffed into them or on them. This clearly showed that the translator resided here. 

The man propped his staff near the door and said, "Welcome to my home. You can call me mister Lan. What is it that you want to ask of me?"

Realization struck all of them.

"So you're the translator," Tomoyo said.

"In the flesh," Mr. Lan replied.

"Since we know your name, you should know ours."

Tomoyo introduced herself and her comrades. 

"It's very nice to meet all of you," Mr. Lan said. "Let's get to business shall we?"

Mr. Lan slowly cleared off a table and mentioned for the standing to sit. Tomoyo and Sakura sat on one side, while the boys sat on the other, with Mr. Lan at the head. Sakura produced the map from her cloak. She handed it to Mr. Lan for him to examine.

"I'd like you to translate the writing on the map if possible. I will pay you well," said Sakura.

Mr. Lan looked over the map taking in all the details. 

"This is an exquisite map. Who made it?"

"We don't know sir. Will you be able to translate it?" Sakura asked impatiently.

"Yes. In fact the language happens to be one of my favorites."

"How long will it take you, and how much will the translation cost?"

"I'd say about, um, half an hour. We'll talk about the price later. While you are waiting you can roam around outside or stay in if you like."

Sakura couldn't wait inside the stuffy house doing nothing for half an hour so she decided to go out side. The remaining three decided to follow Sakura.

"I'll call you when I'm finished."

"Thanks," Tomoyo said gratefully.

After half an hour had passed, Mr. Lan had the translation finished. He called the group back in and they settled around the table once more. A little bit of tension could be felt as they waited for the translation to be recited. Mr. Lan read the translation aloud.

"Travel to the icy highs where cold never ceases. Find your way to the inner chamber. There you will find what Legend foretells. Hold fast to emotions, which are the keys to the Power. Destined Ones, do not let revenge blind you, for it will surely lead you to your demise."

"This is turning out to be some adventure, eh Sakura?" Tomoyo said with feelings of impending danger and excitement.

"You said it. I had no idea it would lead us to a larger adventure. Now we must go," Sakura said.

"You don't necessarily have to go," Eriol pointed out.

"Well, I feel I need to go. There's just something that tells me that I have to do this. It's weird, I know, but I'm going."

"If you're going, then I'm coming too," Tomoyo stated.

"Are you boys coming?"

"Yes," both Syaoran and Eriol said affirmatively. When they had first met the intriguing girls and decided to travel with them, they had never expected to stumble upon something like this. The journey ahead had an allure to it that you just couldn't tear away from. 

Everyone stood.

"How much do I owe you?" Sakura asked.

"Nothing. You are free of charge. It's not everyday I get to translate interesting works of art like that map."

"Thank you so much Mr. Lan. It's been a pleasure working with you."

They said their goodbyes and traveled down the road to the next kingdom.

* * *

Mr. Lan watched them go until they were out of site. He closed his door and leaned against it with an evil smirk marring his once wise looking features and a cunning glint in his eyes. 

"You won't be thanking me later when the great evil defeats you, Destined Ones. Master, it's safe to come out now."

A tall man in his twenties came out from the other room of the cottage. He had a midnight black cloak on that only revealed his nose and mouth. 

"Here you are master, the translation of the map."

Mr. Lan presented it to the mysterious cloaked man with his head bowed and knees to the floor.

"Thank you. You have served me well."

"Oh, no, no master. I do not deserve your praise. Could I ask one thing though? Do you think it was wise to read them the true translation?"

"It's fine. They won't be able to defeat me," the man said arrogantly.

"Of course! How could I forget that you're the most powerful person in the world?"

"Yes, how could you?"

After those words left the shrouded man's mouth, he pointed to the translator and turned him to ash. The man smiled a cold ruthless smile under his hood, pleased that he finally got to kill the man. He had been an annoying presence to him during his stay.

With the parchment in hand, the murderer left the cottage with a poof; the only trace of him being there was the slowly dissipating smoke.

* * *

During the trek to the next kingdom, Sakura opened conversation.

"Remember how our things were looked through back at the inn?"

"Mmmhm," Eriol urged her on.

"Well, I think I know why. We only had one thing that was valuable with us when we were eating, besides our money."

"And what was that?"

"The map. I'm beginning to become suspicious. I think," Sakura paused, "someone's after us."

"You could be right."

"If someone is out to kill us or harm us in any way, then I suggest we move quicker. There's no covering to hide in. When we get to the next town we'll be a little safer," Syaoran stated.

None complained. They were compelled to move faster by the fear that the break-in had invoked. At least no one _voiced_ complaints.

'Man! My feet hurt already! There's going to be a long walk between Holmain and Thaetine. Now is a time when I really wish I had more magical endurance. Oh well. Can't let anyone see me as weak.'   

**A/N: **If you're waiting for additional action in this story, it's coming up soon so don't fret! 


End file.
